Forget It-bags, we want apps

Fashion is catching up with the techno revolution as today's savvy shoppers turn increasingly to their mobile phones.

BY Molly Gunn |
13 January 2010

Appccessories (from left): Net-a-Porter, DKNY and Nike ID.

RIP the It-bag. The must-have hand-held accessory now is a smartphone. This wonder device entered our consciousness when the BlackBerry appeared in 2001, with the latest - Google's Nexus One - unveiled just last week. But it's the iPhone that has been adopted by fashion fans, who are attracted to its sleek design, and now its "apps" - applications - have become subcultural phenomenons in their own right.

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Last week, Apple announced that its "Apps Store" has received more than three billion downloads. More are being developed daily, especially fashion apps, which look set to be big news in 2010, as shops, designers and magazines create their own.

The appeal of an app, over a website, is that it acts as an instant portal into a brand's world, tailor-made for the smartphone screen. Fittingly, as it did with online shopping 10 years ago,
Net-a-Porter
is leading the way with one of the slickest around.

"It's all about 'shopability'," says Alison Leohnis, its vice-president of sales and marketing. "Our customers shop at home and at work, day or night, and we thought it would be great if they could shop on the move, too. It's gratifying to have instant access to fabulous, exciting fashion all of the time."

Its iPhone app has been downloaded by 150,000 people and its joy, say users, is its sharp functionality, from hassle-free shopping to attention to product detail.

"The design took four months of honing before it launched last July. We will keep updating it by introducing videos to the weekly fashion updates."

It's not a question of whether fashion brands will join in, but when. Already out there are apps by Chanel, Donna Karan, Fendi, Costume National, Nike ID and Abercrombie & Fitch. Some enable you to shop without venturing on the net, while others engage with style advice, interactive games, blogs and videos. Fashion news website WGSN is a recent addition, launching last November.

"Our app offers up-to-the minute style news from all over the globe," says Sandra Halliday, WGSN's global managing editor. "The fashion world was slow in launching them at first, but they are catching up and are among the most active businesses, in terms of using the web and apps to engage with customers."

There are pitfalls, though: too clunky, slow or pointless and an app will earn negative ratings. Spanish high-street chain Zara is one such casualty - its app, launched last month, simply shows a collection of product images without description and prices, for which it has been punished with poor reviews.

"It's better to wait and do it right than jump on the bandwagon," says Sarah Curran, founder and CEO of online boutique
my-wardrobe.com
, which is yet to launch an app. "My-wardrobe will launch one, but as an iPhone and Blackberry user, I'm aware that it has to be something great and not just a catalogue of images. A bad app exposes a company as being out of touch. My favourite fashion app is style.com: the video quality is faultless and it presents interesting ideas, like the collaboration with Tresemme, where you can match your hair to a runway look."

Watch out for new launches: whether it's Topshop, Asos or Oasis, which unveils its app today, there's no doubt these funny little icons are the new must-have accessories. Or, should we say, appccessories?

The best fashion apps

Chanel

Launched last July, this stylish app offers full collections of fashion and accessories, Chanel news and a store locator. No app-shopping yet, but watch this space. Free for iPhone.

Stylish Girl

Upload photos of your clothes and accessories, so that you can put together outfits on the app.Free for iPhone and BlackBerry.

eBay

Handy for bidding for covetable items on the move, it also allows you to click through to PayPal and complete the deal. Free for Blackberry and iPhone.

Style.com

One of the first fashion apps to launch, in 2008, style.com has been praised for its real-time content: during fashion weeks, you can watch catwalk shows just hours after they have happened. Free for iPhone.

DKNY

An opportunity to get cosy with Donna Karan. This app stands out for the wealth of information from Karan herself including style tips. Free for iPhone.

Net-a-Porter

Its slick design and functionality trailblazes the way for app-boutiques. It offers fashion and accessory updates, products with 360-degree views, editor's picks and a wish-list function. Free for iPhone.

Nike ID

A must for trainer fiends, the Nike ID app allows users to create their perfect shoe, choose colour combos, and shop men and women's clothing. Free for iPhone.

ShopStyle

This helpful little number is a blessing for smart shoppers, who can search for thousands of fashion items - womenswear, menswear, childrenswear, accessories and homeware. Use this if you don't want to trawl the high street. Free for iPhone.